Backyard Bog Blog

At Welch Homes and Hospitality , we believe that the line between a "vacation rental" and a "home" should be invisible. Since we began our hosting journey in 2014, our philosophy has remained the same: great hospitality is an extension of how you live your own life. Whether we are preparing the Family Cottage for a new arrival or refreshing our own living room at Family Oasis , the goal is to create a sanctuary that feels both curated and deeply personal. Here are our "not-so-secret" ingredients for crafting warm, inviting spaces—whether you’re hosting the world or simply coming home to yourself. The Soul of the Space: High-Low & Global-Local We don’t believe in "showroom" decorating. To us, a room only has a soul when it tells a story. Our signature style is a blend of Canadian craftsmanship and global discovery. Reused & Vintage: We love the character of upcycled furniture and vintage finds sourced right here in Canada. A weathered ...

In December 2025, I cruised from San Diego, CA down the Mexican Riviera and the Sea of Cortez . This 12 day itinerary featured Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo , Mazatlán , Loreto , Pichilingue (La Paz) and Cabo San Lucas as the ports of call. I was looking to do self-guided activities that offered adventure, value and a break from the typical cruise shore excursions. To prepare for the first port of call, Puerto Vallarta, I read some travel blogs and talked to friends who have traveled to Puerto Vallarta, before trying the hike between Boca de Tomatlan and Playa Las Ánimas . This hike was attractive for its scenic offerings of jungle and coastal views full of fishing boats and pelicans. Overall, the duration of the hike, beaches along the way and access by public transportation made this option attractive for my time frame. My partner and I disembarked at the Puerto Vallarta Cruise Port at 8:30am with an all aboard time to be back on the ship at 4:30pm. Our plan was to take the public...

Escape the Cold! Your Fully Furnished Retreat Awaits in Mild Victoria, BC Tired of shoveling snow, bundling up for months on end, and don't feel like traveling to the United States this winter? Imagine trading your winter woes for the mild, enchanting charm of Victoria, British Columbia. Known for its stunning coastal views, year-round green gardens, and vibrant cultural scene, Victoria offers the perfect escape for the savvy "snowbird." We have three ideal home bases to choose from for your extended stay: our bright  Mid-Century Modern Apartment @ Horner Park , the cozy Garden Cottage @ Horner Park , or the serene Couple's Oasis @ Horner Park . Watch our video for a snowbird's eye view of our properties. Our three available adjacent properties are nestled in a peaceful, residential neighborhood in the municipality of Saanich. You'll be within easy walking distance of Shelbourne Plaza ( Fairway Market , BC Liquor Store , Heart Pharmacy , Cobs Bread ,  Bulk Bar...

Our salvaged greenhouse, described in Salvaged Greenhouse Build Raises Urban Farm to New Heights is now "complete", looking fabulous and functioning. As we built it without plans, our vision grew with the project and resulted in a 12x16 foot structure with a soaring height of 15 feet! Its a bit of a cathedral and certainly makes a statement in our aspirational urban micro farm yard . Overall it suits us perfectly and we wouldn't change a thing, however we did gain some wisdom along the way.  Advice for other do-it-yourselfers attempting a similar type of project includes: Consider and plan out the pitch of the roof with regards to install and maintenance. After building a template for the truss, we prefabricated nine trusses. With two people, we managed to lift and install them, using a couple of tall ladders, and the greenhouse frame for support. The install was relatively easy. The challenge came in retrospect once we saw the final structure come to life, that perhaps...

  After dabbling in vegetable gardening for 20 years, we've declared 2025 to be the year that we take our green efforts to the next level. We love getting our hands dirty, sharing our bounty with family, friends and guests. With a recent lifestyle change that has turned our side hustle of vacation rentals into our full-time gig, we now have the mental capacity to take our hobbies to the next level and find new ones. This momentum is fueled also by idyllic lifestyle social posts , the unsteady economy, the unnerving political scene, and all the madness in the world. In this chaos, we find the motivation to ground ourselves to the earth, grow our own food, and raise the stakes with our gardening knowledge and techniques. The first thing we did this Winter was rearrange our vegetable and flower garden area. With urban farming aspirations of eventually getting chickens, we raised the beds into 10, 2x4x6 feet cedar boxes. Arranging the boxes throughout the former lawn allows us to cu...